Africa & Modern Information Technology [Alamineh]

Africa and the Modern Information Technology
Debebe Alamineh
AT&T Bell Laboratories
480 Red Hill Rd.
Middletown, NJ 07724
Africa should start now to establish Information infrastructures for it
disadvanteged population. This infrastructure is based upon the so
called Information and Community Service Centers. In Ethiopia they can
be called "Selk Mender" meaning "Electronic Village Halls", or just
"Tele-house"
Their main aim is to provide the disadvantaged Ethiopian neighbourhood
with access to data processing and telecommunication services, and
computer assisted services. Instead of linking individual households
onto a network, which is unaffordable for these people; it is advisable
to concentrate I.T facilities within special designed "tele-house"
containing entire local communities involved. The facilities are
intended as much for private as for commercial use, with information and
communication facilities, satellite T.V. reception, computer assisted
training, interactive citizen advice services, etc.
A tele-house may be defined as center where Network Information
Technology is palced at the disposal of the citizen of a specific local
community with a characteristically marginal geographic location so that
communal use may be made of facilities available. The purpose of the
tele house is to counter act some geographically determined
disadvantages which the local community involved has been forced to
suffer under, whether they have been of an economic, educational or
cultural nature or have have concerned employment services or other
infrastructure facilities.
Within the limits of a definition of this kind the various tele-houses
are of course organized very differently. But it is generally the case
that all (or most) of the following basic service are provided in the
"Selk Bet" meaning "tele houses" as they are colloqually named:
An information service is available to the local population, with access
to municipal information, business information, library catalogue, and
other national and international databases.
Telecommunication facilities are provided, enabling local citizens to
communicate with the rest of the world within or beyound their national
borders, using telex, phone, fax, email, for instance.
The day to day management of the tele-house is undertaken by a
consultant so called telehouse caretaker who got his or her training
from one of the local colleges for six months.
People come and use the centers for sending resumes, looking for job
advertisements, buying and selling things, like cars, furnitures etc,
communicating with distance relatives, accessing the weather, and last
but not least for following news of their township using one of the
terminals in the center hooked to the news database, just like a radio
and T.V. news.
From: "Arthur R. McGee" <amcgee@netcom.com>
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Date: Wed, 13 Apr 1994 09:17:43 EDT